Gary Macpherson

Originally from Wikipedia · Est. Sep 2025

Gary Macpherson is a Scottish consultant forensic clinical psychologist and professor of psychology and law. He served as the Head of Forensic Psychological Services for the Scottish State Hospitals Board (Carstairs) until 2023. He was a professor at Maastricht University in the Netherlands before joining Erasmus University Rotterdam as a professor of forensic and legal psychology.

Macpherson is acknowledged as an expert by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and has provided expert testimony in criminal and civil cases throughout Scotland, the United Kingdom, Europe and the USA.

Education

After studying at West Virginia University, Macpherson earned a first-class honors degree in psychology and completed clinical psychology training with the NHS at the University of Edinburgh, where he obtained a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (DClinPsychol) and a Master of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology. In 2004, he was honored when he was elected a Fellow of the British Psychological Society (FBPsS). His credentials include the European Certificate in Psychology (EuroPsy), as well as the Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Chartered Forensic Psychologist designations.

NHS and clinical career

Macpherson oversaw Scotland's high-security psychiatric service as the Head of Forensic Psychological Services for the State Hospitals Board for Scotland. He managed clinical services for patients detained under mental health and criminal laws in that capacity. He also contributed to the governance and research of violence risk assessment throughout Scotland, especially by using the Historical Clinical Risk Management-20 (HCR-20) framework.

Academic appointments

At Maastricht University, Macpherson served as a professor in the Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience from 2013 to 2023. He joined Erasmus University Rotterdam as a professor of forensic and legal psychology in 2020. His research and teaching center on forensic psychology in legal contexts, emphasizing expert testimony and capacity assessment.

Select cases

Macpherson has acted as an expert witness in a number of prominent cases in Scotland and internationally.

  • Aaron Campbell (2019): In his sentencing ruling for the kidnapping, [...], and [...] of six-year-old Alesha MacPhail, Aaron Campbell (2019), The judge cited Macpherson's reports of Campbell's clinical interview testimony, which included remarks that "it took everything to stop laughing".
  • Liam Fee trial (2016): The trial of Rachel and Nyomi Fee, who were convicted of [...] two-year-old Liam Fee in Fife, included testimony from Macpherson. He testified about the recorded interviews with child witnesses.
  • Xander Irvine fatal accident inquiry (2024): He was one of two expert witnesses in a fatal accident inquiry concerning the untimely death of three-year-old Xander Irvine, who was struck by a car driven by a 91-year-old woman. The investigation concluded that if the driver had not been permitted to operate the vehicle, the accident might have been prevented.
  • Malcolm Webster (2011): Macpherson's forensic psychological evaluation work was crucial to the case against Malcolm Webster, who was found guilty of [...] his first wife and trying to kill his second.
  • AD against SD (2023): Macpherson provided expert evidence in the cross-continent case under the Child Abduction Convention

Professional activities and committees

A number of professional associations, such as the British Psychological Society (BPS), have involved Macpherson. During his tenure on the Expert Witness Advisory Group, which lasted from 2016 to 2024, he contributed to the creation of best practice guidelines for psychologists testifying as experts. The BPS Mental Capacity Advisory Group has included him since 2017. He was a member of the Expert Group on [...] from 2010 to 2012 and chaired the BPS Working Party on Illegal Downloads from 2013 to 2016. He was invited to join the Scottish Sentencing Council, in 2019, which is presided over by Lady Dorrian.

Controversy

Macpherson trained in Taekwondo under the exiled Korean General Choi Hong-hi, founder of the International Taekwon-Do Federation, and subsequently obtained a 1st dan black belt.

Awards and recognition

  • Fellow of the British Psychological Society (2004)
  • Chartered Clinical Psychologist, BPS
  • Chartered Forensic Psychologist, BPS
  • European Certificate in Psychology (EuroPsy)

Selected publications

  • Macpherson, G. (2023). “Expert Evidence.” In Forensic Psychology, Crime and Policing, edited by K. Corteen et al., pp. 335–340. Bristol University Press. doi:[https://doi.org/10.51952/9781447359418.ch054 10.51952/9781447359418.ch054].
  • Craig, L., Macpherson, G., et al. (2021). Psychologists as Expert Witnesses: Best Practice Guidelines. British Psychological Society.
  • Smith, K. J., Macpherson, G., O’Rourke, S., & Kelly, C. (2020). “The relationship between insight and violence in psychosis: a systematic review.” Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 31(2), 183–221. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1080/14999013.2019.1618999 10.1080/14999013.2019.1618999].
  • Smith, K. J., O’Rourke, S., & Macpherson, G. (2020). “The predictive validity of the HCR-20v3 within Scottish forensic inpatient facilities: a closer look at key dynamic variables.” International Journal of Forensic Mental Health, 19(1), 1–17. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1080/14999013.2019.1618999 10.1080/14999013.2019.1618999].
  • Walker, H., Tulloch, L., Ramm, M., Drysdale, E., Steel, A., Martin, C., Macpherson, G., & Connaughton, J. (2013). “The impact of treatment on hostile-dominance in forensic psychiatric inpatients: relationships between change in hostile-dominance and recidivism following release from custody.” Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 24(6), 756–771. doi:[https://doi.org/10.1080/14789949.2013.859450 10.1080/14789949.2013.859450].
  • Macpherson, G., & Jones, L., eds. (2004). Risk Assessment and Management. Issues in Forensic Psychology Series No. 5. British Psychological Society. ISBN 9781854334077.

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